Kentucky Road Trip

Here's a full report on our epic journey to the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show (NAHBS) this year...

Time to box up our newest creation:

All packed and ready to go.

Ferdinand will be answering the phone whilst we're gone.

Travelling through the snow-covered mountains of West Virginia.

Our carefully thought out "Route 64 Plan" took us right along the path of the most snowfall.

Another fine piece of BCW planning.

He didn't make it to NAHBS:

West Virginia sustenance:

So at least the cuisine was exceptional.

Made it at last...

Carrying a few extra pounds of ice (though it may have improved the aerodynamics).

Almost attended the wrong show.

Bilenky style is in the house...

Early BCW staffer and former Neighbourhood Bikeworks director Andy Dyson who now lives in Louisville, came out to help us. (Thanks, Andy!)

Suzette Ayotte, former marketing person at Brooks, liked our track frame:

Here's a close up: cool fillet-brazed sprint track frame - featuring my foot.

Our electric-assist cargo bike:

Welcoming stand-visitor Brad Quartuccio - publisher of now defunct Urban Velo:

Lynette Toepfer from White Industries visiting our booth.

Philly Bike Expo front and centre center:

A visit from our fearless NAHBS leader:

After-show dinner with framebuilders Mark Dinucci and Kevin Harvey and two of the show judges. But all my networking didn't help us land any awards.

Modelling our suave 2015 show outfit.

Checking out some Louisville architecture.

Anna Schwinn thrilled with Philly luminaries Bilenky and Engin Cycles.

Our version of the awards ceremonies:

Don Walker presiding over the Saturday Eve festivities.

Cool cargo bike by Silent Cycles.

Our creation in the Shimano booth.

Julie Ann Pedalino - yes that's her real name and she's building real frames. She got honorable mention in the Campy Showcase. (We did not place, because we had a TA crank with SRAM rings on the Chorus 11-speed fillet-brazed road frame we entered.)

This top tube grabbed my attention.

At least we had plenty of cargo bike capacity to get us out of the hall.

The morning after.

Morning meeting with Dinucci.

Special guest stop at the Wild Turkey distillery on the way back across Kentucky.

Oh yeah.

A sample or two at tour's end. For purely medicinal reasons, of course.

Then a final stop at the motorcycle shop and museum.

And some indigenous Kentucky fare to get us through the long-haul back to Philly.

It was a great show, thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth, and see you next year in Sacramento.

- Stephen